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For a little while on Thursday night, it seemed reasonable to believe that the president may have banned everything from Fortnite and League of Legends to Spotify and the next Top Gun movie. That’s because Donald Trump issued an executive order pushing to block transactions with TikTok, WeChat and their respective parent companies, ByteDance and Tencent.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve considered what a “ban” on TikTok might mean — and the reasons, shady or otherwise, for implementing one. But Tencent is another issue altogether, given its swath of investments in gaming, music and film, not to mention the wide use of WeChat by people in the US who want to communicate with someone in China. The administration later clarified that should the ban go into effect (over various legal protests) in 45 days, it only applies to deals with WeChat specifically. In the meantime, you may want to find out who owns your favorite services before the next shoe drops.

— Richard

Sony upgrades our favorite noise-canceling headphones

The WH-1000XM4 will arrive mid-August for $350.

Sony WH-1000XM4

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As expected, the WH-1000XM4 is the follow-up to the stellar WH-1000XM3 headphones that arrived in 2018 — long due an upgrade. We’ve reviewed the new set right here, but expect a bunch of small improvements to ensure Sony retains its crown when it comes to mainstream wireless headphones. They’re more comfortable and less likely to squeeze your head during extended use. 

Sony added multi-device connectivity, so you can automatically hop back and forth between your phone and computer when you receive a call. It also means you can make changes in the Headphones app while you’re working, without having to connect to your phone exclusively. In regards to noise cancellation, Sony added the ability for the M4 to automatically adjust the noise canceling levels based on your location. The WH-1000XM4 will arrive in mid-August for $350, but you can preorder now. We liked them. A lot.
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Scientists rename genes because Microsoft Excel reads them as dates

Damn it, Clippy.

HGNC guidelines

HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee

Microsoft Excel’s automatic formatting is making more work for geneticists. The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee has issued official new guidelines for naming human genes to prevent Excel’s spreadsheet date formatting from ruining things. MARCH1 (Membrane Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 1), for example, should now be labeled MARCHF1 to stop Excel from changing it to 1-Mar or March 1st. Apparently, 27 genes have been relabeled to avoid the drama of a spreadsheet in disarray.
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Cadillac’s first full-EV is the Lyriq luxury crossover

It’s promising over 300 miles of range thanks to a next-gen battery.

Cadillac LYRIQ pairs next-generation battery technology with a bold design statement which introduces a new face, proportion and presence for the brand's new generation of EVs. Images display show car, not for sale. Some features shown may not be available on actual production model.

Cadillac

We’re still waiting to see GMC’s electric Hummers, but they will share their Ultium battery tech with this new Cadillac. The Lyriq is slated for delivery starting in late 2022, complete with 150-kilowatt fast DC charging, as well as “dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display and remote self-parking.”
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Delayed roguelike ‘Spelunky 2’ comes to PS4 on September 15th

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Many years ago, a little game called Spelunky graced the Xbox 360. It was actually a remake of a more visually-primitive ‘roguelike’ that was released on PC back in 2008. The upgraded version was an immediate hit, though, and later ported to the PlayStation 3, PS Vita (my personal favorite way to play) PC and PlayStation 4. A sequel was announced in 2017 and given a tentative “2019” release date the following year. It was then delayed due “to the density and detail of the game,” developer Derek Yu explained in a tweet last August. Now, however, we have a new trailer and, more importantly, release date for the PlayStation 4 version: September 15th.

The game is coming to Steam, too. In a follow-up tweet, Yu said it would be released “shortly after” the PS4 version. “After Steam, we’ll look into other platforms,” he teased. “We are excited for as many people to play as possible.” The original Spelunky challenged you to explore a multi-level cave and do as much as possible — grab treasure, save damsels, buy upgrades and so forth — before inevitably perishing. The levels were randomly generated, so each run posed a slightly different challenge. The game was brutally difficult but the diverse threats, hidden secrets and seemingly-infinite replayability appealed to diehard ‘spelunkers.’



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TikTok will pursue ‘all remedies available’ to fight White House ban

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The justification for the ban given by the White House was a “national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services supply chain.” The administration is also concerned that TikTok “automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories.”

We have made clear that TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, nor censored content at its request. In fact, we make our moderation guidelines and algorithm source code available in our Transparency Center, which is a level of accountability no peer company has committed to. We even expressed our willingness to pursue a full sale of the US business to an American company. 

However, TikTok countered that its attempts to address those concerns were stymied by the government. “What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses,” it wrote. The latter part likely refers to Trump’s comments about Microsoft’s potential purchase of TikTok and that a chunk of the proceeds should go to the US treasury.

TikTok gave what could be a preview of its legal case, saying that the order relies on unnamed “reports” with no specific citations. It also noted that the administration said the app “may be” used for misinformation with no proof to back that up.

The company restated that “TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, nor censored content at its request.” It added that it’s one of the few social media companies to make its moderation guidelines and algorithm source code available to the public, and noted that it even offered to sell its US business to an American company.

TikTok’s response was widely expected, as is a possible protracted court fight. The White House has also threatened to ban the Chinese app WeChat, which is run by TenCent. However, it said that it wouldn’t take action against other Tencent properties, most notably gaming companies and games like the popular battle royale title PUBG.

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Sony’s excellent ANC earbuds are on sale for $170 today

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Buy Sony WF-SP800N at Best Buy – $150

Sony has continuously improved its ANC earbuds over the years and the WF-1000XM3s (89) are the best iteration so far. They already start out more affordable than some competing devices, and they have great sound quality and ANC to boot. You’ll hear booming bass and bright highs through these earbuds, and the audio only gets better when you turn on ANC. They get between six and eight hours of battery life depending on how much you use ANC, and we also like the companion Headphones app that lets you tweak the EW, turn up the Clear Bass level, change the Adaptive Sound Control settings and more.

The WF-SP800Ns are actually newer than the WF-1000MX3s, debuting back in May, and we gave them a score of 88 for their affordable $200 regular price, solid ANC and punchy bass. They’re the midrange version of the WF-1000MX3s, lacking some premium internals but keeping most of important features. They’re also designed to withstand sweat more than the WF-1000MX3s, making them the better choice for those trying to stay fit. Sound quality is similar, ANC quality is just as good, and these earbuds also connect to the Headphones app so you can customize a bunch of settings.

Since both of these earbuds are quite similar, we have similar gripes about them. The WF-1000MX3s and WF-SP800Ns have a similar fit that might take some getting used to (and it’s easy to do so thanks to the different sized ear tips that come with each), and their charging cases are on the large side. Otherwise, either of these Sony earbuds make excellent daily drivers, especially when you can grab them at these discounted prices.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



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‘Control’ DLC trailer teases the return of an old Remedy hero

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Remedy’s next big Control expansion is coming out on August 27th, and the developer has released a trailer to give you a glimpse of what you can expect. The upcoming expansion is called AWE, which stands for Altered World Event. In the game’s universe, that’s an event that that occurs “when paranatural forces breach our world.”

In the expansion, Control’s protagonist Jesse Faden has to go after a mysterious being that’s been haunting the sealed Investigations Sector — the sector where the Federal Bureau of Control used to investigate AWE cases from until things went awry. To defeat the being, Faden has to explore those AWE cases, including one from the town of Bright Falls where Remedy’s older Alan Wake games for Windows and Xbox are set. While Control has a few Alan Wake easter eggs to begin with, this could tie the games together even further. In a post on the PlayStaton blog, Remedy’s Communication Director Thomas Puha wrote:

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20GB of Intel internal documents were leaked online

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More than 20GB worth of Intel internal documents has been uploaded on Mega, and according to ZDNet, the chipmaker is now trying to ascertain how the files were leaked. A Swiss software engineer named Till Kottmann published the documents, most of which are marked “confidential.” He said he got it from a source who claims to have hacked the company sometime around May this year. Kottmann has history publishing data from major tech companies that was leaked online through various avenues, such as misconfigured Git repositories.

ZDNet looked through the files and found internal design information and source codes for various chipsets. They include BIOS reference codes and sample codes for Kaby Lake, as well as schematics, tools and firmware for the company’s upcoming Tiger Lake processors. Thankfully, the data dump doesn’t seem to include sensitive data about Intel customers and employees.



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Apple: iOS games need individual review, which blocks cloud gaming apps

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Apple:

Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search. In addition to the App Store, developers can choose to reach all iPhone and iPad users over the web through Safari and other browsers on the App Store.

Google offered no comment about Stadia support via iOS, but a Microsoft spokesperson sent over the following response.

Microsoft:

Our testing period for the Project xCloud preview app for iOS has expired. Unfortunately, we do not have a path to bring our vision of cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to gamers on iOS via the Apple App Store. Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content. All games available in the Xbox Game Pass catalog are rated for content by independent industry ratings bodies such as the ESRB and regional equivalents. We are committed to finding a path to bring cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the iOS platform. We believe that the customer should be at the heart of the gaming experience and gamers tell us they want to play, connect and share anywhere, no matter where they are. We agree.

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Trump executive order seeks to ban Tiktok, WeChat in 45 days

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A week ago Donald Trump said that he could and would ban the video sharing app Tiktok, and on Thursday night he issued an executive order to block transactions with its parent company, Bytedance. It’s set to take effect in 45 days, which is just beyond the September 15th deadline Microsoft publicly announced for its negotiations to buy the company.

At same time, Trump also issued an executive order pushing the same ban for WeChat and its parent company Tencent. These orders will certainly be challenged in court, but Tencent has investments in many US companies, while WeChat allows communication for people inside and outside China. In the orders, the reason given for the ban is “national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services supply chain.”

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Cadillac jumps into the EV market with its ‘Lyriq’ crossover

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“It’s no secret they want to elevate their brand, they want to compete with the European luxury automakers, and it seems like they’ve tried various avenues like performance,” Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for Edmunds, told The Detroit News on Wednesday. “So I wonder if this is one of those ways that they want to differentiate themselves, but it’s not necessarily going to materialize into anything that is long-lasting.”

The Lyriq uses the same infotainment system as the 2021 Escalade, a mammoth 33.0-inch curved OLED that doubles as the driver’s gauge display. The display reportedly has the “highest pixel density available in the automotive industry today” and can reproduce over one billion colors, 64 times more than any other vehicle’s display offers and which can only be fully appreciated if you are a Mantis Shrimp.

What’s more, the Lyriq will offer “dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display and remote self-parking” features, per a Cadillac press release. In addition, the Lyriq will sport GM’s latest version of the SuperCruise driver assist suite, which now includes automated lane changing.

“The LYRIQ represents the next iteration of the iconic brand’s styling, enabled by electrification, as only Cadillac can express,” Andrew Smith, executive director, Global Cadillac Design, said in a press statement. “Inside and out, Lyriq is a thoughtful integration of design and technology and is intended to make every drive an occasion.”

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Facebook sweep deletes some fake Trump supporters and COVID conspiracies

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Facebook has removed several networks of accounts that were spreading misinformation in the US ahead of the 2020 presidential election. One of the troll farms, which was based in Romania, posed as a group of African Americans who said they supported President Donald Trump. They used names like “BlackPeopleVoteForTrump” to share their content. 

Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Facebook, told NBC the group’s motives were unclear. However, the company didn’t see “clear evidence of financial motivation.” Gleicher went on to stress Facebook took action against the organization for using fake accounts to game the company’s algorithms, not the specific content they were posting.

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